Petition urges ESPYS to honor STEM School students who saved lives during shooting

From left to right: Joshua Jones, Kendrick Castillo and Brendan Bialy stopped a suspected shooter at STEM School Highlands Ranch on Tuesday. A fourth unidentified story also helped stop the suspect. Castillo was shot and killed during the incident.

DENVER – An online petition wants to make sure the students whose heroic efforts helped save the lives of countless others at STEM School Highlands Ranch get national recognition for taking action in the face of adversity.

Now, a Change.org petition
is urging the ESPYS to award the three students the 2019 Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The award is given to those “possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost,” according to ESPN.

The petition stresses the students did exactly just that as they faced the suspected shooter without giving it a second thought and helped others take cover or escape, thereby avoiding further loss of life.

By Thursday night, thousands had already signed the petition.

Denver7 has reached out to ESPN for comment, but we have yet to hear back.

Editor's note:Both ABC and ESPN are owned by the Walt Disney Company. The 27th edition of the ESPY Awards will air on Denver7 on Wednesday, July 10.

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